Two environmental organizations in Nevada have filed a lawsuit against the federal government concerning the approval of the Greenlink West, a significant 472-mile transmission line by NV Energy.
This multibillion-dollar infrastructure project is deemed essential for supporting the development of large-scale solar farms across the state and for facilitating energy transfer to urban centers.
Greenlink West is designed to complement another transmission line, Greenlink North, which stretches 235 miles and will link Yerington to Ely.
The lawsuit has been brought forth by Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Basin and Range Watch, both dedicated to conservation efforts.
They argue that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) neglected to consider a critical related project — Esmeralda 7, a proposed solar facility in Esmeralda County, which would cover a massive 185-square-mile area, similar in size to Las Vegas.
If approved, Esmeralda 7 could emerge as the largest solar farm in North America.
Shaaron Netherton from Friends of Nevada Wilderness criticized the BLM’s decision not to evaluate the combined impacts of the transmission line and the proposed solar complex.
She stated, “The fact that the final EIS completely ignored the future impacts of a proposed industrial solar field complex the size of Las Vegas is simply a dereliction of duty.”
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is supposed to assess the potential environmental consequences of such significant projects.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Nevada and emphasizes the need for NV Energy to halt construction until it conforms to federal law.
The complaint also raises concerns that the project may threaten fossils protected by the National Park Service Organic Act of 2016.
In response to the lawsuit, both the BLM and its parent agency, the Interior Department, have refrained from commenting, given their policy on pending litigation.
NV Energy has also declined to comment, remarking that the utility is not a defendant in the lawsuit.
This legal action follows the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against environmentalists in a case related to the expansion of a Utah railway, which moves forward despite questions about whether the federal government thoroughly evaluated environmental impacts.
The implications of this ruling touch on lawsuits regarding the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a cornerstone legislation established in 1970 requiring federal agencies to seek public input and assess environmental impacts before greenlighting construction on federal land.
The Nevada lawsuit contends that federal agencies failed to comprehensively consider the potential effects on species protected under the Endangered Species Act, including bighorn sheep and the Mojave desert tortoise.
One of the most controversial aspects of the Greenlink West project is its route through the Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument located in the northern Las Vegas Valley.
Upon approval of the power line by the Biden administration, Ali Zaidi, the then-White House climate change adviser, cited it as a prime example of Nevada leading the charge in the “clean energy revolution.”
Nevada stands out among western states as having the largest area of federal land identified for solar development under the federal government’s Western Solar Plan, which spans approximately 12 million acres.
The plan underwent an update after a 12-year period, and the new version was released in 2024 during the Biden administration.
Netherton pointed out that her organization had submitted multiple comments to the BLM during the federal environmental review, raising concerns that she believes were largely ignored.
She commented, “The agencies ignored our comments and those submitted by many others throughout the process and refused to address the impacts of the massive industrial solar facilities through Esmeralda County.
This refusal is unacceptable, particularly when other, less impactful alternatives exist.”
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